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2009 Episode Guide
Episode Guide By Year The HotSpot 01/06/2009 The HotSpot comes out swinging for 2009 with the longest episode yet, far surpassing the surgeon general's daily recommended allowance of inane chatter. Find out all about Nintendo's early '09 lineup, rumors of a new Zelda, why Gears of War 2 wasn't nominated for our Game of the Year, and why Metal Gear Solid 4 took home the hardware. Notes: This show marks the beginning of the HotSpot Game of the Year spoilercast tradition. It wasn't planned, but Mc Shea and Brendan both showed up to work on the first Monday of the year and discovered the holiday break lasted until Tuesday. Not wanting to waste the trip into work, they figured they may as well record their praise for Metal Gear Solid 4 and tack it onto the end of the first real HotSpot of the 2009. The HotSpot 01/13/2009 Tor Thorsen, Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair run down the scene at CES 2009, pay a visit to Skate 2's Hall of Meat, ponder a year without a new Rock Band, assess the state of the fighting game, and lament the death of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 01/20/2009 Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair whack the Godfather II, play with Deadly Creatures, and run down the best-selling games of 2008 before discussion of the story in Doom 4 morphs into an argument about the merits of early American literature in a fairly surreal installment of The HotSpot. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 01/27/2009 Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair knuckle up like 3 Ninjas and go a few rounds with Street Fighter IV, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, the new Ninja Turtles game, and the legacy of Uwe Boll. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 02/03/2009 Still buzzing from the weekend's Puppy Bowl V, Brian Ekberg, Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair try to focus on Resident Evil 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Killzone 2, Mortal Kombat vs. Major Dad, and your best box quotes for terrible, terrible games. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 02/10/2009 Wanted: Weapons of Fate executive producer Pete Wanat swings by the studio to curve bullets with Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair, and then it's time to talk Dead Rising 2, Dead Space on the Wii, Red Dead Redemption, the suddenly not dead Free Radical Design, and tons more. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 02/17/2009 Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair go nuts for GTA: The Lost and Damned, Dawn of War II, and House of the Dead: Overkill before taking some time out to watch over the Watchmen game's associate producer Jerry Pritchard. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 02/24/2009 Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair provide a dramatic reinterpretation of Killzone 2's gripping narrative before delving into the surreal one-two punch that is Noby Noby Boy and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Then the gang looks to the future and gets psyched to varying degrees for Lost Planet 2, Alice, Dead to Rights: Retribution, and the DSi. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 03/03/2009 Tom Magrino, Lark Anderson, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair lean deep into the strike zone and take one for the team with Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. Once they purge themselves of those memories, it's on to Halo Wars, the future of the PSP, the latest Wii release slate, and more. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 03/10/2009 Chris Watters, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and game designer David Sirlin talk about watching the Watchmen, balancing fighting games, the used-game business, BioShock 2, Resident Evil 5, and...Quiz and Dragons? Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 03/17/2009 Brian Ekberg, Lark Anderson, Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair go into the gory details on Resident Evil 5, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and MadWorld. After that, they run through a sequel-heavy news week with tidbits on BioShock 2, Army of Two: The 40th Day, RE: Darkside Chronicles, and more. Notes: This is the episode in which Kevin famously proclaims that he will eat a hat if Tecmo announced Ninja Gaiden Sigma II instead of Ninja Gaiden 3 . The HotSpot 03/24/2009 Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Sophia Tong, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair play Animal Crossing for all the wrong reasons before digging into news of Max Payne 3 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma II. Then it's time to put the Resident Evil 5 discussion to bed, revisit GTAIV's full-frontal nudity in lingering detail, and dig up what we can on a 360 gamer by the name of Xkamun1k80r. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 03/31/2009 Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recover from the Game Developers Conference with speculation about The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, impressions of Batman: Arkham Asylum, praise for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and mixed reactions to the OnLive on-demand game-streaming service. Notes: The HotSpot, once again, shows its penchance for animal cruelty when Tom Mc Shea theorises how the train, from the debut trailer of Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, is fueled by shoveling puppies in the furnace. The HotSpot 04/07/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Sophia Tong, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair go hands-on with the Nintendo DSi and rundown the launch lineup in every sense of the word before moving on to Ninja Blade, Riddick, and more. Also, the largest HotSpot collection of corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies yet! Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 04/14/2009 Shaun McInnis saw Saw, and he shares impressions of the horrifying puzzle game with Tom Mc Shea, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair. Then the gang gets up in arms about Dead Space's debut on the Wii, Nintendo's problems in Japan, the screenwriter for the new Shadow of the Colossus movie, and a slew of five-word game reviews. Notes: This was the "Tom's Swollen Foot" episode of The HotSpot, as immortalized in this sketch by listener Hou Chung. The HotSpot 04/21/2009 Tor Thorsen, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair draw a thin line between tangents and actual topics such as Fallout: New Vegas, a bad month for NPD numbers, M-rated games for the Wii and DS, and Activision's Scratch lawsuit. And for those who enjoy linearity, a perfectly coherent interview with Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe! Notes: This episode features the user submissions for the Saw toilet full of syringes puzzle homework. The HotSpot 04/28/2009 It's no-holds-barred podcasting action as Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair submit to Ultimate Fighting Championship, BioShock 2, and Uncharted 2. Once the bleeding stops and the bones knit, it's time to sit down with ESA executive Rich Taylor about the Video Game Voters Network and the imminent arrival of a new and improved E3. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 05/05/2009 Tom Magrino, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair welcome Telltale Games cofounder Kevin Bruner into the studio to talk Wallace & Gromit, Wolverine, the rumored disc-less redesign for the PSP, games as art, and new developments on the BioShock feature film. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 05/12/2009 Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair bombard Treyarch Call of Duty community manager Josh Olin with questions about the game's latest add-on, the studio's ambitions, and more. The gang wants to go even further Beyond Good and Evil, Thief 4 steals other people's hearts, and Tom comes out as a zombie sympathizer. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 05/19/2009 With E3 mere weeks away, Shaun McInnis, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair run down who needs to show what. Also, Activision's latest Tony Hawk game wants to take you for a Ride, and we've got impressions of Bionic Commando and Terminator: Salvation. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 05/26/2009 Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair bask in the electric glow of Infamous, take a few swings at Punch-Out, and scratch their heads over leaked footage from Team Ico, the price of Tony Hawk: Ride, and what to expect from next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/01/2009 Tor Thorsen, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recap a news-packed first day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, with all the latest from E3 briefings held by Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/02/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair burn through the Nintendo and Sony press conferences, pausing briefly to reflect on motion controls, Mario, Metroid: Other M, the PSP Go, Mass Effect 2, God of War 3, and so much more. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/03/2009 Giddy from lack of sleep and abundance of gaming goodness, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair close out the HotSpot's E3 2009 coverage with a micro-cast recap of what was learned, seen, and played on the show floor. Highlights include Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, APB, Left 4 Dead 2, and hands-on impressions of Scribblenauts. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/09/2009 E3 2009 saw a lot of people drop a lot of megaton bombs. Brian Ekberg, Sophia Tong, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair reflect in the aftermath of the big show, talk a little Sims 3, and pick sides in the cases of Activision v. Double Fine, Darksiders v. New Year's Day, and PC Gamers v. The World. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/16/2009 Who you gonna call for impressions of Ghostbusters, Prototype, and Legendary Starfy? The HotSpot fab five of Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair, of course. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/23/2009 Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Lark Anderson, and Brendan Sinclair threaten to drop support for the PS3 and PSP if Sony doesn't drop the price, and then jack up the cost of its Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor and Prototype discussion. Also, Angry Barry cocreator Aaron McCray talks about his political beat-'em-up and what's wrong (and right) with Xbox Live Community Games. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 06/30/2009 There's more to the HotSpot than meets the ear when Ricardo Torres, Brian Ekberg, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair stick a verbal potato in the cinematic tailpipe of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (spoilers!). But that still leaves plenty of time to talk about The Conduit, id Software being acquired by the owners of Fallout and Oblivion, Mortal Kombat's day in kourt, and Uncharted setting sail for the silver screen. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 07/07/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair keep busy punishing The Punisher and trying to describe Trine. Then it's time to get online with Starcraft II, LucasArts, and Gaikai. Plus, who thinks Asteroids would make a good movie? Hint: It's nobody on this panel. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 07/14/2009 Justin Calvert, Andre Segers, Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair storm Battlefield 1943, kick back with Wii Sports Resort, and look forward to another Summer of Arcade before discovering the awful truth about the BioShock 2 delay. Notes: The user homework assignment concluded this episode was to come up with the worst possible profession of Ubisoft's Imagine series. The winner: Imagine: Drug Mulez. The new assignment given was video game pick-up lines, which resulted in the "listener discretion advised" disclaimer on the following week's episode. Justin had an entry that he tried to give out during the sign off, but he was cut off after "Hey princess." The HotSpot 07/21/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair tune up for make-your-own Rock Band songs, bemoan the Bayonetta delay, run down the monthly sales charts, and more. WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised. Notes: This episode was saddled with a disclaimer because of the gaming pick-up lines homework assignment.. The HotSpot 07/28/2009 Just back from a trip to Comic-Con, Chris Watters, Ricardo Torres, and Lark Anderson tell their war stories to Brendan Sinclair. Also, Splinter Cell Conviction is overturned until next year, the Warcraft movie gets a director, and the holiday release schedule takes shape. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 08/04/2009 Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair celebrate the 200th episode of the HotSpot by putting the moves on Fat Princess, enlisting with G.I. Joe, and doing whatever one is supposed to do with a "BlazBlue." Then, it's time to talk about game-based movies, still more 2010 delays, and a surplus of fun greater than is appropriate for stick-shaking purposes. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 08/11/2009 It's Madden week, which means it's time for Brian Ekberg, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair to expose just how much (or little) they know about football. Also, the crew dissects Activision's plans for Call of Duty, Tony Hawk: Ride, and Guitar Hero: Van Halen before delving into games with a message and picking fights with FireHouse and Gallagher. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 08/18/2009 With HotSpot mastermind Brendan Sinclair giving his dulcet tones a rest for the week, Brian Ekberg, Chris Watters, Sophia Tong, and Tom Magrino do their best to make with the video game talky-talky. Subjects on tap for the week include Shadow Complex, EA Sports MMA, those irascible NPD sales numbers, and washing-machine Wii peripherals. Do not worry! Brendan's back next week! Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 08/25/2009 Justin Calvert, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair get committed to Batman: Arkham Asylum, level up in Dissidia: Final Fantasy, and recap a frenzied news week, featuring a PlayStation 3 price drop, Fable III, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and Rock Band 3. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 09/01/2009 Chris Watters, Shaun McInnis, Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair sound off on Guitar Hero 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Disney's big acquisition of Marvel. Also, God of War gets collected on the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 Elite hardware gets a price drop. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 09/08/2009 Ricardo Torres, Giancarlo Varanini, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair get wistful on the Dreamcast's 10th anniversary with EA Sports president and Sega vet Peter Moore. Also, the gang recaps PAX 2009, talks All Time Greatest Game Heroes, and digs into Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 09/15/2009 With Brendan on assignment covering GDC Austin, Chris Watters, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino grapple with the week's crush of games. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Wet, Scribblenauts, Need for Speed: Shift, (take a breath), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, NHL 10, and...My Boyfriend? Plus, Courtney Love goes crazy and NPD numbers--both very, very exciting! Notes: Fill in notes here The HotSpot 09/22/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair lock and load with Halo 3: ODST, tune up The Beatles: Rock Band, recap last week's GDC Austin convention, and instill a healthy dose of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's skepticism, pessimism, and fear. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 09/29/2009 Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recap Tokyo Game Show week, from a Wii price drop to Dead Rising 2 to rumors of Microsoft buying EA. Also, more Halo 3: ODST, a touch of Williams Pinball, and a heated debate over whether Batman is, in fact, a scientist. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 10/06/2009 It's go time, as Kevin VanOrd, Lark Anderson, Sarju Shah, and Brendan Sinclair recap the PSP Go before delving into Demon's Souls and Ninja Gaiden Sigma and breaking out the extra-snooty monocles for ESRB Ratings Description Excerpt Theatre. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 10/13/2009 Tom Mc Shea, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair get giddy over Uncharted 2 and Brutal Legend, tune up Guitar Hero: Van Halen, propose bad ideas for EA's Jack the Ripper game, and set a record for most unrelated 1980s sitcom references in single podcast. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 10/20/2009 Brian Ekberg, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair shift into gear with Forza 3, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the PSP, and Demon's Souls. Also, Chris Watters swings by to talk Borderlands, and Tom Mc Shea drops in for the monthly NPD sales figures. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 10/27/2009 Brian Ekberg, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Magrino, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair craft a Shakespearean SmackDown in THQ's latest WWE game, while Dead Space: Extraction is dead-on-arrival in stores, Modern Warfare 2 for the PC gets controversial changes, and the gang casts future game-to-movie adaptations. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 11/03/2009 Shaun McInnis, Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair get all gushy about Dragon Age, GTA: Ballad of Gay Tony, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, and Tekken 6. Then, it's time to tackle the DSi XL and Modern Warfare 2's latest controversies in one preposterously packed podcast. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 11/10/2009 Ricardo Torres, Lark Anderson, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair offer a piercing perspective on Bayonetta, ponder the possibilities of Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia, and pick apart the potential for Captain America and Thor games. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 11/12/2009 Ricardo Torres, Chris Watters, Ryan Mac Donald, and Brendan Sinclair unload praise and scorn on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in a spoiler-ridden podcast covering the game's single-player campaign, from the controversial airport level to the game's ultimate message (if there is one). Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 11/17/2009 Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin's Creed II make Justin Calvert, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair feel all tingly, but layoffs at EA and slumping October sales bring the mood back down. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 11/24/2009 Kevin VanOrd stops by to talk about the inverted 720 face-plant that is Tony Hawk: Ride, then Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, Sophia Tong, and Brendan Sinclair look forward to the year-end awards, lament the apparent passing of Pandemic, and peruse the latest ESRB ratings. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 12/01/2009 Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair briefly oppress indigenous cultures in James Cameron's Avatar before looking forward to Mass Effect 2, a new Prince of Persia, and the fiscal ramifications of incorporating the Mercenaries franchise. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 12/08/2009 Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Brian Ekberg, and Brendan Sinclair bleep all over the bleepin' bleepfest that is Rogue Warrior; save France from cows, as well as Nazis, in Pandemic's Saboteur; and look forward to Dead Space 2, Medal of Honor, and...House, M.D.? Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 12/15/2009 All aboard! Tom Mc Shea, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair go hobo and ride the rails with Link in Zelda: Spirit Tracks, take aim at PixelJunk Shooter, and give their memories of God of War I and II an HD face-lift. Also, November NPD numbers, Batman: Arkham Asylum II, Force Unleashed II, and more. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 12/22/2009 Ricardo Torres, Tom Magrino, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair wrap up an exhausting 2009 with a second opinion on Bayonetta, differing views on despicable downloadable content, and more junk than you can shake a stick at. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot 12/29/2009 GameSpot HQ is all quiet this week, which means it's time for an all-clips show of outtakes from a whole bunch of 2009 shows. If mic checks, double takes, and non sequiturs are your thing, we've got a show for you! If they aren't, well, at least it's only 41 minutes long. WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised. Notes: Fill in notes here.